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| 8 Steps to Successfully Managing your Documentation Projects (cont.) |
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| 3. Build your team |
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Who will write, design, edit, or create screen captures & illustrations? Choose the right team member for each task and clarify their roles & responsibilities. |
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Do you plan to outsource some of the project work? If so, do you have an experienced, reliable vendor? |
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Or, if you plan to use in-house staff for the writing, editing, or design, determine each of their skills & strengths. While one person may be better at document design, another may be more suited to putting the content into words that your target audience can easily understand. |
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| 4. Define your development process & stick to it |
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Think through exactly what needs to happen & when. Write it down in detail. |
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Specify the tools you will use to develop it & establish style guidelines. |
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Plan & document such things as file naming conventions, image creation, software versions, and time & expense reporting. |
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| 5. Be flexible and creative |
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Allow extra time for mistakes or reworks due to miscommunications. |
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Remember that the development process is recursive, not linear. |
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| 6. Track everything in detail |
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Develop detailed task lists with team member assignments and deadlines. |
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When your team members figure out how to do something new, have them write down how they did it and make that information available for future reference. |
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Keep careful track of time and expenses – including travel time, phone time, troubleshooting time. |
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